Bottle-feeding linked to tooth decay in infants

Melbourne: In wake of rising rates of severe tooth decay in infants as young as 12 months, a leading children`s hospital in Australia has urged parents to stop bottle-feeding their babies.

According to Children`s Hospital at Westmead, prolonged feeding with bottles and infant formula are linked to the problem, especially at night, when children suck on bottles in their cots for extended periods, a newspaper reported.

Naturally occurring lactose was present in both breast milk and formula. When combined with plaque in a baby`s mouth, it could erode the enamel of primary teeth, said Associate Professor Richard Widmer, the hospital`s head of dental services.

He said the hospital had been removing teeth, under general anaesthetic, from babies as young as 12 months due to bottle-feeding infants at bedtime.

Paediatric dentists had noticed a pattern of decay on the back of the upper front teeth, indicating the cause was drink from a bottle that had been held between the child`s tongue and teeth for prolonged periods.